Ray Stevens MP – September Newsletter 2018

Spring has sprung and by the looks of it we shall be in for a long hot one! Ensure you ‘slip, slop, slap’ on the sunscreen when out and about under our cloudless skies. We have lots of spring offerings such as the ‘Swell’ festival kicking off on Friday 14 September at Currumbin or perhaps you may enjoy the Gold Coast District Orchid Spring Show, 14-15 September at Albert Waterways Community Centre. School holidays are almost upon us, be safe on our roads and in the ocean and enjoy the delightful spring weather.

As you may know, a Preliminary Business Case for Stage 3A of the Gold Coast Light Rail was provided to the State Government in February 2018 following community consultation by the City of Gold Coast in mid-2017. The proposed third stage will extend the Gold Coast Light Rail from Broadbeach South to Burleigh Heads. Interestingly, at this stage there is no proposal in sight to proceed past Burleigh Heads. With the heavy rail already in existence at Varsity it would be presumed that the most cost effective and logical progression would be to continue this down to Coolangatta airport. However, the Gold Coast community is still in the dark as to what is planned. It just makes common sense to connect the current light rail offering from Broadbeach as effectively as possible to Varsity and then follow the existing dedicated transport corridor direct to the airport. Minimum cost and minimum disruption to local Gold Coast business owners as well as residents.

Three Federal Cabinet Ministers on the Gold Coast

With three Gold Coast MP’s, in three of the top portfolios, in the new Morrison Federal Government, the Gold Coast has strong advocates for local and regional issues. There is an old country saying that “when going to the dance you look after the one who brings you!”. With the enormous growth of the Gold Coast continuing, motorways, heavy-rail connection and other Federal Government responsibilities should be high on the Morrison Government agenda with plenty of Federal Government funding to accompany their long-serving “dance-partners”.

Five New Taxes Affecting Queenslanders

With five new taxes handed down in June from the Palaszczuk Labor Government Queenslanders have been let down yet again. From the ‘surprise’ new waste tax, wagering tax and property investors tax to an increase in land tax and car stamp duty, Queenslanders are paying more tax, earning less and still the Government rakes in resource royalties. Queensland kids and their grandkids are facing a significant debt mountain for many, many years ahead with $3,500 million being paid every year by Queenslanders in interest payments alone. Only with a Labor government could you get booming coal royalties and still manage to tax your way to a massive debt bomb! This government is spending more than it can afford and accumulating debt for generations to come.